Instructor: Daniel W. Skubik, PhD JD MDiv
Voice: 909.343.4288 / Fax: 909.343.4437
E-Mail: dskubik@calbaptist.edu
Office Hours: tba

Ethics in Business & Technology

This course in business ethics is not primarily about how to stay out of jail, although legal concerns will be given some coverage. Neither is it devoted to simple functional calculations of how to take the moral and other values of your potential customers or employers/employees into account for marketing purposes, although some of these considerations will be touched upon, as well. The import of the course is to cover what it means to say that businesses and professionals ought to engage or not engage in particular activities with reference to value claims other than the ledger's bottom line. Students will thus come to comprehend the various bases from traditional philosophical and theological sources for discerning professional, ethical practices. Application of these studies will follow, with individual and team-oriented case studies that highlight contemporary ethical conundrums in business and technology settings, nationally and globally.

Required Texts

Max Stackhouse, et al. (eds.), On Moral Business: classical and contemporary resources for ethics in economic life (MI: Eerdmans, 1995) [Available from the CBU bookstore, or from many web stories, such as Amazon.com (new) and Bigwords.com (new and used copies available).]

Educational Media Resources, Inc., Understanding Computer Ethics [CD-ROM, available for check-out at the Circulation Desk of the Library]

Additional Internet readings will be referenced, for which students will also be responsible.

Class Schedule

Assessment & Grading Scale

Quizzes = 25% (5 @ 5% each)	90 - 100 = A (90-94 = A-)
Case Studies = 20% (2 @ 10% each)	80 - 89 = B (80-82 = B- / 87-89 = B+)
MidTerm = 20%	70 - 79 = C (70-72 = C- / 77-79 = C+)
Final Exam = 25%	60 - 69 = D (67-69 = D+)
Participation = 10%	0 - 59 = F

Quizzes

Five (5) quizzes will be given on the days noted (all being Wednesdays), covering only specified, previously discussed material. They principally will be objective in nature (comprised of true/false, multiple choice, short answer, fill-in the blank, or matching type questions), and will also incorporate at least one essay-type question requiring thoughtful response. Each quiz counts 5% towards your final grade, for a total of 25%. Quizzes can be made up only if arrangements are made prior to the time the quiz is given. No make-ups will be permitted without prior arrangement, and all quizzes must be completed before the subsequent Wednesday class session.

Labs

Six (6) Fridays have been set aside as Individual & Group Study periods. You are encouraged to use those times to study the materials on the Understanding Computer Ethics CD-ROM. Copies of that CD will be available for check-out at the Circulation Desk of the Library, and can be used in the Library computer lab or the ISM computer lab when open for general use. You are also free to use those times to work on your individual or group case study projects.

MidTerm Exam

There will be a midterm exam during midterms week (Oct 16-20), at our usually scheduled time and place. You must take this exam during this week to receive a grade for the course. No other make-up arrangements are possible. This exam will be like our quizzes in format, but comprehensive in nature, covering all material to date. It will be worth 20% of your final grade.

Final Exam

There will be a comprehensive final exam per the calendar on Monday, December 11, from 2:00-4:00pm. You must take this exam at this time to receive a grade for the course. No other make-up arrangements are possible.

The exam is closed book and open notes. Meaning of open notes: you are permitted to bring one (1) 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper to the exam room, with notes written on it. You may use any size writing or type or font, front and back, with no regard for margins.

The exam will be comprised of objective and essay questions, and will include questions from the case studies as presented by your classmates.

Case Studies

You will be presented case study materials for two (2) separate cases, requiring you to apply the various readings and theories we have covered to identify and resolve any action dilemmas in an ethically or theologically justifiable manner. You may work individually or in groups. "Group" means two or three persons working together, pooling their knowledge and judgments, to reach one or more conclusions about what ought to be done given the circumstances of the case provided. [Each case will present different scenarios, so no two individuals or groups will be working with the same factual setting.] You will be responsible to write-up your analyses and conclusions in one full outline format, and to be prepared to present a synopsis of those analyses and conclusions to the class in an open session on the dates determined. Presentations should be timed to take ~20 minutes each. Each member of a group will share the same grade for the presentation (5%) and the outline (5%). Each group member must be in class during the presentation in order to share the group grade.

Attendance & Participation

Attendance: You are expected to attend all class sessions, and in timely fashion. Attendance will be recorded, and will be considered when computing your participation score.

Participation: Although speaking in class, publicly putting and defending a position, can be daunting, you are strongly encouraged to learn to think through your own and others' experiences and insights within the context our discussions. Especially in this small group setting, I expect you to come prepared for discussion, having done the readings before each session.

To give direct incentive to so engage, 10% of your mark for the course will be comprised of my assessment of your overall classroom participation. This includes, but is not limited to, my assessment of your participation during our sessions (e.g. making relevant comments during discussions, being prepared to respond to questioning, asking relevant questions, and following directions concerning reading assignments, and making contributions to the Web discussion forum). The point is to determine your active engagement with the material in the context of the class.

Caveat

This syllabus is composed in good faith, with a schedule of readings, etc. which will guide us throughout the term. Still, the instructor reserves the right to make adjustments to this schedule as deemed necessary for the overall enterprise of the class. Any changes will be communicated as far in advance as feasible, and you are responsible for knowing if and when any changes have been made. Always check the Web site if you have questions about readings, assignments or meeting dates and times.

Make-Ups

Quizzes : if you are going to miss a quiz, contact me prior to that class session to arrange a make-up time before the subsequent Wednesday class session. Make-ups will not be permitted if prior arrangements are not made.

Case Studies : case studies cannot be made-up. They must be submitted and presented on the due date.

MidTerm Exam : the midterm must be taken during midterms week. See me beforehand if you cannot take the midterm on the day set.

Final Exam : no make-up for the final exam is possible. You must take the final at the scheduled time to receive a grade for the course.